In Rome the paranoid Emperor, Domitian, presides over a reign of terror, partly provoked by a sense that his own days are numbered: 'Let them hate me, so long as they fear me'. Senators, freed men and members of the imperial family know that a sudden execution or enforced suicide may be round the corner. Domitilla, the Emperor's niece, separated from her sons serving with the army in Germany and disenchanted with her dissolute husband, seeks solace in the cult of the goddess Isis at Albanum, the Emperor's country palace. There she meets and falls in love with a retired gladiator, Hispo. It is an affair that will bring only tragedy.

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About the Author:

Anthony Horne was born in Scotland in 1942 and educated at Mill Hill School and Keble College, Oxford. He taught briefly before qualifying as a solicitor, and ran his own legal firm for many years, later becoming a consultant. He retired in 2006. He is married with two grown-up children and enjoys reading and gardening.